Sabi nga ni Jamie Oliver... "Breastfeeding is the beginning of the story."
Please read this entire article. And please realize that EVERYTHING begins with YOUR choice on how to nourish your baby. I say NOURISH and not just FEED, because you can give am to your baby and baby still might not die (baby will be malnourished but may continue to survive, like what happens to the poor).
I also emphasize YOUR CHOICE... Coz when your baby is now a toddler, he should not be dictating what is offered at your table.
Yes, he will have preferences and favorites BUT if you only offer a variety of whole foods at home, then he will learn that is the type of food one eats... So that someday, when he goes to parties and gets exposed to fast, junk and processed food which he might try/like, he will still come home able to eat his vegetables and fruits and Pinoy dishes (which include diff parts of different plants).
And I would like to emphasize that formula is a processed food that IS high in sugar. So, when you give up on breastfeeding and give in to formula, you say YES to the deterioration of your baby's body. From babyhood. Same is true for processed baby food and fast food.
This is a fact. Formula-fed babies have been found to have increased Obesity, hypertension, heart disease, kidney disease and diabetes risks. This is not fear-mongering. It's a fact.
Take care of your health but be vigilant of your child's diet too... For as long as possible.
Breastfeeding is the beginning of the story. Don't let the story end in diabetes and heart disease.
===
In Tagalog (para walang reklamo)
Sabi nga Ni Jamie Oliver, "Ang pagpapasuso ang simula ng kwento/lahat."
Pakibasa po ng buong artikulo. Namnamin. Intindihin.
Tandaan na lahat ay nagsisimula sa inyong desisyon Kung paano palalakihin at pagyayamanin ang anak. PALAKI at Hindi lang PAKAKAININ, Kasi nga ang baby pwedeng bigyan ng am at Kung ano-ano at pwedeng Hindi naman mamatay (lalaki pa din, malnourished lang). Parang yung mga mahihirap na kung ano na lang makain, nakaka-survive naman.
Gusto ko din idikdik ang puntong INYONG DESISYON Kung ano ang ibibigay sa anak. Kayo ang magulang, Kayo ang may Alam, Kayo ang may kasalanan if ever. Hindi dapat anak Nya ang magdidikta ano ang ipapakain sa kanya.
Opo, syempre magkakaron sya ng paborito at aayawan. Pero ang punto dito ay, Kung lahat ng hinahain sa bahay ay tamang pagkain, matututo syang kumain ng tama at ayos at hindi pihikan. Para Kung mapadpad man sya sa mga kasiyahan kung San ang handa ay junk, fast, processed food, matikman/magustuhan man nya, uuwi pa din syang kakain ng ihahain sa Bahay. Kakain pa din sya ng gulay at prutas at mga pagkaing Pinoy na kumpleto ng parte ng ibat-Ibang halaman (pansinin Nyo ang sinigang, prutas ang kamatis/kalamansi/sampalok, ugat ang bawang/sibuyas, dahon/tangkay ang mga talbos).
At gusto kong idiin na ang formula milk ay processed food na sagana sa asukal (pati asin). Kaya po pag sumusuko kayo sa pagpapasuso at nauuwi sa pagbibigay ng formula, um-ooo Kayo sa unti-unting pagkasira ng katawan ng anak Nyo. Simula sa pagkabata. Pareho lang din kung ang ibibigay nyo ay processed baby food at fast food.
Ito po ay napatunayan na ng Syensya. Katotohanan po na ang batang laking formula ay mas malaki ang tsansa magkaron ng sakit sa puso, bato, high blood, diabetes at mas malamang eh tumaba. Hindi ito pananakot kundi pagsasabi ng totoo.
Alagaan nyo po ang kalusugan nyo Pero mas lalong magpursige sa pagko-kontrol ng kinakain ng anak hanggat kaya.
Sa pagpapasuso nagsisimula ang kwento. Wag hayaang matapos sa diabetes at sakit sa puso Ito.
"There is no escaping the fact that the more we consume prepared and processed foods, the more we trip the inflammation switch little by little each day. The human body cannot process, nor was it designed to consume, foods packed with sugars and soaked in omega-6 oils.
There is but one answer to quieting inflammation, and that is returning to foods closer to their natural state. To build muscle, eat more protein. Choose carbohydrates that are very complex such as colorful fruits and vegetables. Cut down on or eliminate inflammation- causing omega-6 fats like corn and soybean oil and the processed foods that are made from them.
What you can do is choose whole foods your grandmother served and not those your mom turned to as grocery store aisles filled with manufactured foods. By eliminating inflammatory foods and adding essential nutrients from fresh unprocessed food, you will reverse years of damage in your arteries and throughout your body from consuming the typical American diet."
- #adminmec
See more at this news article
Showing posts with label parenting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label parenting. Show all posts
Saturday, March 19, 2016
Friday, March 6, 2015
Mothers Do Not Need Milk to Grow Babies and Produce Milk
If you are pregnant or lactating, you do not need special milk to help you grow the baby inside you, or to help you produce milk.
Current Culture:
1. Milk companies have created a demand for milk for mothers (hereinafter referred to as MFM, since the more popular term "mother's milk" confuses people) by having OBs pushing these as VITAL to a pregnancy's success.
2. Milk companies are pushing the sale of MFM because the implementation of the Milk Code has affected their infant formula and toddler milk sales so they are diversifying to growing up milk (GUM), MFM and milk for senior citizens.
3. Some OBs get perks from milk companies when they push, prescribe, recommend or give away these MFMs to mothers.
4. Selling MFMs to mothers is also a cross-branding strategy by milk companies. Surveys have shown that parents are more likely to choose a formula brand from the same line (e.g. If a mother drank Enfamama, she will buy Enfalac for her baby, Enfagrow and and Enfakid for older children)
What They Don't Tell You:
1) Like formula, MFM contains high levels of sugar compared to regular cow's milk.
2) It was reported at One Asia Breastfeeding Partners Forum 2014 that pregnant mothers complaining of hypertension, gestational diabetes (GDM) and allergies (skin rashes) also presented as MFM drinkers. Within two weeks of being advised to stop drinking MFM, their conditions resolved.
3) There is a lot of anecdotal evidence at Breastfeeding Pinays (BFP) of pregnant moms asked to take MFMs who experienced rapid weight gain and failed their oral glucose tolerance tests. Some even had to suddenly go on diet in the last months of their pregnancy.
Truths to Remember:
1. Pregnant and lactating moms need a balanced diet and an extra 500 calories intake per child (generally, because I am not sure a mom carrying sextuplets need 3,000 extra calories, her body might not be able to process that much either).
2. Pregnant and lactating moms need THE SAME vitamins and minerals people normally need, most important of which is calcium, which can be derived from food sources. They do not need any special diet.
3. Nowhere in the history of human evolution did mothers NEED special milk just to have healthy pregnancies or abundant milk supply. Think of mothers who had to be pregnant and breastfeed before the days of clean water supply, modern plumbing, farming, medicine and in the midst of plagues, wars and less abundant food supply. MFMs are a new invention, and has only become popular/is being pushed more aggressively for the past 10 years.
4. Lactating moms also do not need milk to produce milk. Cows only eat grass. Lions only eat meat. We produce milk because we are mammals. The milk we produce is specifically designed for the needs of our young (in the case of cows, their calves need to grow big asap... in the case of humans, babies need to finish brain development first).
5. There are no studies yet (as far as I know) proving MFMs put mothers at risk for diabetes, hypertension and allergies for the simple reason that it will be unethical to ask mothers to take MFMs when they are already believed to be potentially harmful.
5. GDM/diabetes, even hypertension, will always be due to a number of factors (genetics, habits). However, one cannot deny that diet plays a huge factor in one's health. If you have a history (family or personal) of diabetes, food intake that is high in sugar will increase the odds of you developing the condition/getting sick.
6. MFMs are made from cow's milk which is not as easily digestible as fruits and vegetables (as calcium source). It also contains additives and preservatives. Cow's milk has also long been established as the top slow-acting allergenic food.
7. Milk has only become part of the worldwide diet after modern farming has allowed for excessive milk production by cows (which are pumped with hormones). Historically, the only ones who really used milk as part of their diet are people living in temperate countries, as milk digests more slowly (allowing people to feel warmer and fuller for a long time, especially during winter time).
8. A self-respecting doctor who has done his research would not prescribe MFMs to moms but would insist that moms eat healthy, natural food (as opposed to processed food, which MFM is). That will go a longer way in helping ensure a healthy pregnancy since real food will have biodigestible nutrients, fiber, water, etc.
9. A regular prescription of MFM affects a family's budget. Some moms also do not like drinking milk, or do not like the prescribed MFM but get scared (or guilt-tripped) into forcing themselves to drink MFM because they were advised by a doctor they trust to do so, for the health of their baby. That is a disservice to them when again, natural food sources offer a wide array of options and should be the automatic choice.
10. Should a mother ever want milk, any nut or soy milk or the usual fresh milk in 1-liter cartons should be good enough. Milk drinking for moms is not prohibited (unless there are special conditions) but it is also unnecessary.
11. When a pregnant mother develops GDM or hypertension, not only is it difficult and painful for her to suddenly go on a strict diet, her life and the baby's life is also put at risk.
Again... Nature had this system perfected already. Provided a mother eats healthy, gets plenty of rest and has the help she needs, she should be able to have a healthy pregnancy and sufficient milk supply.
Let us say NO to relatives, friends, doctors and milk companies who are pushing processed food our way when we should be eating healthy for two (or three).
#BF1st1000days
#miycn
#iwasgatasPilipinas
Current Culture:
1. Milk companies have created a demand for milk for mothers (hereinafter referred to as MFM, since the more popular term "mother's milk" confuses people) by having OBs pushing these as VITAL to a pregnancy's success.
2. Milk companies are pushing the sale of MFM because the implementation of the Milk Code has affected their infant formula and toddler milk sales so they are diversifying to growing up milk (GUM), MFM and milk for senior citizens.
3. Some OBs get perks from milk companies when they push, prescribe, recommend or give away these MFMs to mothers.
4. Selling MFMs to mothers is also a cross-branding strategy by milk companies. Surveys have shown that parents are more likely to choose a formula brand from the same line (e.g. If a mother drank Enfamama, she will buy Enfalac for her baby, Enfagrow and and Enfakid for older children)
What They Don't Tell You:
1) Like formula, MFM contains high levels of sugar compared to regular cow's milk.
2) It was reported at One Asia Breastfeeding Partners Forum 2014 that pregnant mothers complaining of hypertension, gestational diabetes (GDM) and allergies (skin rashes) also presented as MFM drinkers. Within two weeks of being advised to stop drinking MFM, their conditions resolved.
3) There is a lot of anecdotal evidence at Breastfeeding Pinays (BFP) of pregnant moms asked to take MFMs who experienced rapid weight gain and failed their oral glucose tolerance tests. Some even had to suddenly go on diet in the last months of their pregnancy.
Truths to Remember:
1. Pregnant and lactating moms need a balanced diet and an extra 500 calories intake per child (generally, because I am not sure a mom carrying sextuplets need 3,000 extra calories, her body might not be able to process that much either).
2. Pregnant and lactating moms need THE SAME vitamins and minerals people normally need, most important of which is calcium, which can be derived from food sources. They do not need any special diet.
3. Nowhere in the history of human evolution did mothers NEED special milk just to have healthy pregnancies or abundant milk supply. Think of mothers who had to be pregnant and breastfeed before the days of clean water supply, modern plumbing, farming, medicine and in the midst of plagues, wars and less abundant food supply. MFMs are a new invention, and has only become popular/is being pushed more aggressively for the past 10 years.
4. Lactating moms also do not need milk to produce milk. Cows only eat grass. Lions only eat meat. We produce milk because we are mammals. The milk we produce is specifically designed for the needs of our young (in the case of cows, their calves need to grow big asap... in the case of humans, babies need to finish brain development first).
5. There are no studies yet (as far as I know) proving MFMs put mothers at risk for diabetes, hypertension and allergies for the simple reason that it will be unethical to ask mothers to take MFMs when they are already believed to be potentially harmful.
5. GDM/diabetes, even hypertension, will always be due to a number of factors (genetics, habits). However, one cannot deny that diet plays a huge factor in one's health. If you have a history (family or personal) of diabetes, food intake that is high in sugar will increase the odds of you developing the condition/getting sick.
6. MFMs are made from cow's milk which is not as easily digestible as fruits and vegetables (as calcium source). It also contains additives and preservatives. Cow's milk has also long been established as the top slow-acting allergenic food.
7. Milk has only become part of the worldwide diet after modern farming has allowed for excessive milk production by cows (which are pumped with hormones). Historically, the only ones who really used milk as part of their diet are people living in temperate countries, as milk digests more slowly (allowing people to feel warmer and fuller for a long time, especially during winter time).
8. A self-respecting doctor who has done his research would not prescribe MFMs to moms but would insist that moms eat healthy, natural food (as opposed to processed food, which MFM is). That will go a longer way in helping ensure a healthy pregnancy since real food will have biodigestible nutrients, fiber, water, etc.
9. A regular prescription of MFM affects a family's budget. Some moms also do not like drinking milk, or do not like the prescribed MFM but get scared (or guilt-tripped) into forcing themselves to drink MFM because they were advised by a doctor they trust to do so, for the health of their baby. That is a disservice to them when again, natural food sources offer a wide array of options and should be the automatic choice.
10. Should a mother ever want milk, any nut or soy milk or the usual fresh milk in 1-liter cartons should be good enough. Milk drinking for moms is not prohibited (unless there are special conditions) but it is also unnecessary.
11. When a pregnant mother develops GDM or hypertension, not only is it difficult and painful for her to suddenly go on a strict diet, her life and the baby's life is also put at risk.
Again... Nature had this system perfected already. Provided a mother eats healthy, gets plenty of rest and has the help she needs, she should be able to have a healthy pregnancy and sufficient milk supply.
Let us say NO to relatives, friends, doctors and milk companies who are pushing processed food our way when we should be eating healthy for two (or three).
#BF1st1000days
#miycn
#iwasgatasPilipinas
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Even Breastfeeding Advocates Cry At Night
If... Even pretty girls cry at night...
And for every success story we hear, for every mom we meet who strives, for every milestone our own child reaches... There are tears of joy.
Well, even breastfeeding counselors, advocates, experts and BFP admins cry/cried at night too.
We cried/cry because most of us didn't know what to do in the first place.
We cried/cry because we made/make mistakes.
We cried/cry because nothing can really prepare you for the demands of a newborn. First time mothers will get shocked into the role, it is so "every moment". Those with other kids will have to juggle time and energy for all the other children who would all need something from her.
We cried/cry because even the most loving and supportive of households can never fully share the exhaustion breastfeeding brings.
We cried/cry because even the most loving of husbands will continue sleeping while we nurse through the night.
We cried/cry because no woman ever imagines seeing their nipples sucked raw, sore, bleeding or with blebs and pus. It's scary and extremely painful when your breasts get engorged.
We cried/cry because when babies bite, the pain reaches down to our toes. If they do it while awake, you can train them not to... But what of those lockjaw moments they get while in deep sleep? No self-respecting Mom will be shaking them awake to tell them biting hurts. Nay, we just grit our teeth in the dark, crying the silent tears as we continue nursing.
We cried/cry because some of us had unsupportive households, relatives and friends.
We cried/cry because some of the significant people in our lives "blame us" for everything that goes wrong or seems wrong with the baby... Or anything that doesn't meet THEIR standards.
We cried/cry because the doctors we turn to for help when we get sick almost always tell us to stop breastfeeding, in the meantime or for good, instead of doing their job... Which is to update their knowledge base and prescribe medicines that are breastfeeding-safe.
We cried/cry because it gets depressing, exhausting and downright annoying to have to keep explaining, defending and fighting for our choice and the Science behind that choice.
We cried/cry because those of us who have given formula and seen the effects of that to an older child will forever regret not having known better then.
We cried/cry because those of us who work away from home get overwhelmed and exhausted and stressed over keeping our milk supply up, pumping enough and storing enough for our child.
We cried/cry because no matter how much we love our babies, the nights seem triply long when they are sick and forever attached to us.
We cried/cry over the responsibility of being sole provider... We sometimes deny ourselves medications or delay treatments just because we don't want our baby to be without us.
We cried/cry over aching arms and back pains... Maybe even disproportionate (size) boobs (since most babies will favor one more).
We cried/cry because we are made to feel ashamed for nursing in public.
And for those that Life thought to challenge more, they cried because their babies were born earlier or with biological impediments (tongue tie, cleft palate, etc) or life-threatening conditions that make breastfeeding more challenging.
And yet... Here we are, trying to help and inspire others... And save one mother and child at a time.
Because we believe in God's provision and Nature's grand design. Man would not have been able to survive as a species if we had to rely on "modern formula, fortifiers and vitamins" to be healthy.
So, those of you about to begin your journey... Or are struggling now... Please know that we cried at nights too.
The only things that made it easy were that we believed we made the decision to breastfeed
1) out of nothing but love for our child
2) out of nothing but a desire to invest in our health and our child's health for the long-term
3) out of nothing but faith that the same God who gave us this baby will allow us to provide for this baby
Us breastfeeders, breastfeeding counselors, advocates, experts and BFP admins... We still cry.
We cry for every mother we try to help that refuse our help.
We cry for the poor who do not know better to make informed choices for their families.
We cry for moms whose efforts are being undermined by their own partners, family, friends, doctors and at work.
We cry for illnesses and deaths that could have been prevented or reduced in severity had the baby been breastfed.
We cry... Because there is still so much to do for the advocacy, and we get exhausted too.
But again, because of the tears shed before and despite the tears we shed now, we are here, wanting to help however way we can. Because we know we stand for truth and love.
And for every success story we hear, for every mom we meet who strives, for every milestone our own child reaches... There are tears of joy.
#BF1st1000days
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Choose to Join Us!
You have to choose to listen to what we are saying (which are based on facts), and then do your own research to make informed decisions.
You have to be willing to let go of preconceived notions, habits, old beliefs.
You have to be willing to fight for and stand up for your rights and your child's rights... even if it may mean challenging relationships.
You have to be vigilant about asking what is due you... as a citizen of this country, ensure the Milk Code is implemented for you. As an employee, insist on lactation breaks (even if a lactation room cannot be physically provided for you). As a patient, demand your doctor to only prescribe breastfeeding-safe meds and focus on your baby, not on weight and yellowness.
You have to keep your eye on the goal always, in all ways.
You have to take inspiration where you can and filter out everything that does not help you achieve your goals.
You have to prioritize health in the long term (for you and baby) over what is convenient now.
You have to edit your own thoughts, your own questions... so that they empower you into action, and not depress you into giving up.
You have to celebrate the little things and the little triumphs... and take things one day at a time.
You have to treat challenges (pumping, soreness, sickness) as bumps in the road and not your final destination. You have to accept that there will be difficulties (and heck, you are entitled to tears and the occasional chocolate bar or ice cream pint) because what you are doing IS worthwhile.
You have to write your own breastfeeding story and not have others write it for you.
You have to find ways and make ways.
Most of all, you have to believe that God gave your child to YOU... so what that child needs is Mom, not Man-made. (love this slogan!)
Champion yourself and your child... we can only show you how and where to go. After all, we were all once lacking information and empowerment, and as governed by fears and insecurities as you. It's just now, we know better so we do better.
Choose to join us.
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Breastfeeding and the First 1,000 Days #BF1st1000days
My biggest takeaway from the first day of the 2nd
Breastfeeding Congress was the role breastfeeding plays in the first 1,000
days.
First 1,000
Days is a partnership among key players worldwide concerned with maternal
and child nutrition. Basically, the belief (backed by numerous studies) is that
the first one thousand days of a child’s life is the period
that decides the health and wealth of the world. From pre-conception care to
the first two years of life, how a child is nourished will influence his long-term
health, ability to learn and performance in all aspects of society.
Breastfeeding, having the largest impact on child mortality of all preventive
intervention, is thus something that all nations have to promote, support and
protect.
Unfortunately, milk companies are trying to jump on the
1,000 days bandwagon to squash all the efforts the UNICEF and WHO (as well as
other concerned agencies) have been putting in for this breastfeeding campaign and
confuse consumers yet again. Or maybe I mean dupe consumers. Nestle and Danone
have officially hijacked the initiative and launched/registered sites bearing
the 1,000 days catch phrase. It definitely isn’t the first time that milk
companies will twist something from the breastfeeding camp (golden bow, “best
start”, etc). You can download Breaking
the Rules 2014 and see for yourself other violations these companies have
been committing worldwide.
It is in this regard that breastfeeders, breastfeeding
advocates and breastfeeding supporters are now being called to express support
for breastfeeding. Let us use our social media accounts. Let us post
breastfeeding photos, breastfeeding quotes, reflections on your journey/testimonies
as a breastfeeder and use the hashtag #BF1st1000days.
Perhaps, in this way, these milk companies won’t even think
of bringing their ludicrous underhandedness in the Philippines.
Having breastfeeding in mind while pregnant helps mothers
mentally prepare themselves and the people around them to breastfeed. Breastfeeding
in the first two years of life (and beyond) complemented by healthy eating
habits after baby turns six months reduces risks for chronic diseases for both
mother and child. Breastfeed for the first one thousand days. Let your posts
all contain #BF1st1000days.
Friday, August 1, 2014
Truths Behind Rejection of Formula Donations During and After Emergency Situations
(I wrote this article last 22 November 2013 with the hope that some bigger syndication will publish it... wellm they didn't so I am claiming it back for my blog. This was a reaction to all the debate going on about formula donations post-Yolanda, one that even reached international forums)
Babies and children are top priority when disaster strikes.
When natural calamities end up displacing hundreds of people, one of the first
calls to go out or be offered is formula milk donations.
Two weeks ago, the Visayan region of the Philippines was hit
by what is touted to be the strongest typhoon ever recorded in human history.
The storm surge that came along with it killed thousands and leveled several
areas, stripping people of their homes, schools, churches and hospitals.
Hundreds of thousands of people scattered over several provinces are left
without food and shelter and yet, why are formula donations being banned by the
government?
There are several inter-related truths that provide
rationale for this particular policy:
1. Most mothers start out breastfeeding their children.
Based on experience over several strong typhoons, most that end up in evacuation
centers are either breastfed and mix-fed. Few babies below the age of six
months are completely formula dependent. Thus, the need for formula donations
is not high and one the government can certainly address.
2. Studies show that 50% of formula fed babies run the risk
of requiring hospital treatment in emergency situations, mostly due to
ill-prepared formula that will be inevitable in shelters where clean water,
sterile equipment and a steady supply of the formula are hard to come by.
Usually, evacuees are deluged with donations in the first few days but are left
wanting in the weeks, maybe even months, to come. The reality is that mothers
sometimes end up preparing formula using rain or portalet water or diluting it
so much that it causes water intoxication in their babies. Most people have not
made the connection that formula is called precisely that because it has to be
prepared a certain way for it to be beneficial.
3. Getting mix-feeding mothers to relactate, new mothers to
exclusively breastfeed, and parents to wean their toddlers/preschoolers off
formula/bottle feeding reduces the risks posed by ill-prepared formula. The
simple act of giving milk using cups instead of feeding bottles or getting
toddlers eating more solids are more practical and sustainable strategies in
emergency situations.
4. There is a system in place that allows formula fed babies
to get formula at evacuation centers and temporary shelters. These babies are
neither forgotten nor allowed to die. Hopefully, those identified to have no
other option but formula will also be monitored. However, when more mothers
exclusively breastfeed, the few formula-dependent babies left can be better
provided for with age-appropriate milk and other resources and information
necessary to ensure safe formulation.
5. Resources are a challenge post-calamity, even if a family
does not end up in an evacuation center. Communication lines may be down for a
while. Water pipes busted. Supplies like gas or milk may be out of stock. In
tent cities, clean water is often scarce and a family might not be able to get
enough to wash and sterilize feeding bottles, what more have enough to prepare
formula with. Congestion may also increase the level of humidity, expediting
milk spoilage.
6. There is no wisdom in providing hundreds of cans of milk,
or including a box of milk per prepacked baby kit to all families in an
evacuation center since formula has to be age-appropriate and only babies under
age 1 truly rely on milk as their main source of nourishment. Unfortunately, if
formula is given to a breastfeeding family, they will use it, even if they were
already breastfeeding successfully. If powdered milk is given to each family,
they will use it, even if they were not milk drinkers previously. Such has been
the indoctrination of some societies,
like ours, that people actually think formula is a safer, better food for their
baby. For some, it is even a status symbol.
7. For the same price per can, private citizens or organizations
could be providing one to three days worth of food and water to families in
calamity zones and temporary shelters. The percentage of infants is always very
low (and again, most that stay in evacuation centers are breastfed to some
degree) so it is more practical to channel funds to feeding all members of a
family, instead of just one, or providing them with shelter, clothes,
medicines, etc. It also makes no sense for centers to be flooded with free
formula while families struggle to get drinking water, cook their food or
clothe themselves.
8. Returning to their homes or relocation may be a long time
coming for evacuees which will pose challenges for the parents and the
government to sustain formula feeding. At best, the average Filipino family can
barely sustain the cost of formula for a whole year. Imagine how much worse it
would be for families left with nothing and no clear prospects for the future.
9. Thanks to a growing number of breastfeeding advocates,
the Milk Code is being observed better and better in the Philippines.
Unfortunately, this has not stopped milk companies from offering free milk
through hospitals and clinics. Milk companies are also known to freely
distribute samples by the can in schools, conferences and the like. This surely
suggests that should the government not have the budget to purchase formula for
the few babies per center that need it, our leaders can still appeal to these
companies to provide the milk because they can afford to give them freely.
Private citizens and organizations, out of concern for babies, need not spend
for them at all. Unfortunately though,
milk companies in the country seem to have a problem with donating unbranded
cans to the Department of Health (per Milk Code stipulation) as well as taking
on the task, even if they can afford it, of providing free milk indefinitely
for evacuees that need it.
10. Formula feeding eats up resources in already compromised
living arrangements. It eats up gas and water that could be used for cooking.
It requires soap (or salt). It is a monthly expense. It takes up space and
requires light (as proven by a mom who mistakenly used gasoline in preparing
her baby's milk, accidentally killing her child). And because formula feeding
increases risks for certain diseases (diarrhea, ear infection, allergies) that
living in a shelter compounds, there will also be medical costs and it may even
cost lives. Add to this again the burden of spending so much to provide for one
member of the family while leaving the others malnourished and it becomes a
vicious cycle of health issues.
11. Donations are hard to manage, track and properly
distribute in our country over an average typhoon, what more a catastrophe that
wiped out entire areas. Pre-packaged baby kits with a formula in each bag will
have to be repacked, otherwise other babies will be put at risk. All formula
cans would have to come with the necessary accessories, otherwise, it will put
babies at risk. Prevention by banning formula donations reduces logistics
nightmares, public health issues and loss of lives for the government.
12. 16,000 children age five and below are estimated to die
every year in the country from diseases that are linked to formula feeding.
This number will surely rise when measures are not taken to control formula
feeding (especially in cases when babies are beyond age 1) and closely monitor
formula distribution in shelters.
13. The ban on milk donations is not about breastfeeding
being superior to formula feeding. It is about the greater good in a time of
chaos and limited resources. Breastfeeding and formula feeding are also not
just feeding issues, but during war and calamities, both become bigger public
health issues.
14. The people who will be left in evacuation centers are
the truly marginalized ones, without family or friends who can take them in.
Post-Yolanda, we are looking at thousands of families. Not only will they be
short of funds (which will challenge again the sustainability of formula
feeding), they will have limited options. Some of these families also have
multiple children of varying ages where it becomes all the more critical that
fewer or none will be reliant on powdered milk for sustenance and nutrition.
This references to the growing trend of milk-dependent toddlers/preschoolers when
eating solids is most beneficial for them.
15. The difference with calls for breast milk donations and
milk letting drives is that the breastfeeding groups behind these ensure that
donated breast milk is not compromised (cold chain project) as opposed to the
usual unmonitored distribution of formula without the necessary paraphernalia
and information. Donated breast milk is also pasteurized and given through the
use of cups, which makes it safer than formula. Perhaps, because breast milk
donation is very personal in nature, its advocates take more care in making
sure nothing gets wasted, as opposed to a general donation of formula wherein
cans might be left under the heat of the sun or water used in formulation might
be dirty. Donor milk is also not distributed indiscriminately because the goal
is always to ensure safe and sustainable feeding so its recipients usually are
moms in the process of relactation or babies who have been separated from their
mothers.
The government and concerned agencies are just looking out
for these children and their families for the short and long-term. The
international standards are rigid because it has been proven time and again in
emergency situations all over the world that indiscriminate formula donations
just create problems and cost lives.
Now, people who really want to help these babies can send
cash donations instead to trusted agencies or send food, care and emergency
shelter kits for their families. Let us relieve the parents of some of their
immediate worries and burdens, so that they can care for their children better.
And may these truths reassure everyone that this stance the Philippine
government has taken is a good one.
Monday, July 21, 2014
On Celebrities Endorsing Milk and Our War Against Underhanded Marketing Strategies by Milk Companies
This may very well be a loooong post and yes, biased FOR breastfeeding. Hopefully though, this will explain why breastfeeding advocates are against celebrities (and by this, I mean politicians, TV/movie/ad/music/sports personalities, anybody else famous or with name recall, etc) endorsing milk as a strategy employed by milk companies.
As a backgrounder, a popular celebrity family recently posted that they are giving away a year's supply of powdered milk (their firstborn's milk) for some contest (I think) which greatly saddened breastfeeding advocates. Here are the thoughts that ran through my head while I was feeling frustrated over this:
follow-on milk / toddler milk / preschooler milk/ adult milk is unnecessary
I swear, it is a fact. Nowhere in the existence of man was it necessary for humans to be dependent on milk beyond infancy (which ends when babies hit 1 year old) for nourishment. But yes, the worldwide average for weaning is closer to age 4, mainly because that is also the time a human being stops making lactase, the enzyme that digests the lactose in milk. Toddlers also benefit from the antibodies and probiotic in their momma's milk as they explore more of this world.
But here's a crash course for you. When the Americans came (you know, that time in our history when they colluded with Spain and drew up a mock battle but actually bought the Philippines for around 20 million dollars? Remember now?), they wanted to create a market for their goods. One thing they brought in was formula. And since Filipinos are very accommodating, we gobbled their "wisdom" up that formula is superior milk.
Fast forward to now, the Milk Code has regulated commercials of formula/milk for kids 3 years and below. Unfortunately, in the hundred years it has been sold here, milk companies are now earning at least P40B yearly. Yes, we made for a lucrative market. From a culture where breastfeeding was the norm, even for toddlers, we became milk guzzlers instead. What is worse, there is now that prevalent thinking among the common folk that formula milk is better and "only the poor" nurse their own babies.
But the fact is, what humans need for life is CALCIUM, not milk. And as much as milk companies say their products provide calcium, the truth really is the cow's milk (where these products are mostly derived from) leeches off calcium from our bones. Why? Because it is meant for calves! It just becomes this acidic mess in our guts. And the pasteurization that strips it of bacteria also removes the enzymes which will allow humans to digest it.Unfortunately, pasteurization does not remove the hormones fed to cows that were milked for our powdered milk.
So, again... what is a formula company to do if it cannot advertise for their formula? Create follow-on milk instead. Now, they have toddler milk, preschool milk, regular milk, pregnant mom's milk and milk for old people. The milk companies created a DEMAND for it by putting the idea across that we need it.
But WE DON'T!
We need calcium!
But their powdered milk is fortified with Iron! Of course, because drinking cow's milk makes a person iron deficient. How? It causes micro bleeding in the gut (because we are digesting food that is meant for a 4-compartment stomach) and interferes with iron absorption.
In other words, parents giving their very young kids milk are contributing to potential anemia and lactose intolerance for them.
Some studies already suggest that pregnant and breastfeeding mothers who drink milk/take in other allergenic food while pregnant/breastfeeding increase the chances of their babies developing skin allergies. And yet, more and more OBs are prescribing formula milk for mamas.
But how many of the educated population know of this truth about milk? And how many of the marginalized?
do the Math!
A P40B (and more) industry spends around P1B to market its products yearly. Marketing includes giving away samples, wooing doctors (who will give away the free samples OR prescribe the products), paying for print and TV ads.
Meanwhile, as per Milk Code, breastfeeding groups are limited in who they can approach to sponsor breastfeeding classes and events. Breastfeeding does not provide livelihood (except for Nanay Ines' Arugaan community of wet nurses and massage therapists) and will certainly not make anyone rich.
enter the celebrity endorsers and strategists in milk companies
Milk companies often target celebrity endorsers with a child who is still more likely breasfeeding. Why else would they have gotten Judy Ann Santos and Claudine Baretto before to promote preschooler milk after these celebs just had babies? I mean, surely, these celebs' adopted kids were already capable of drinking milk even before there were babies in the house. But no, let us wait until they've just given birth a few months before. Right?
Why would they approach Gladys Reyes, of the "thank God I was breastfeeding because we were stuck in our terrace/rooftop during Ondoy" fame to endorse preschooler milk while she also had an infant (and breastfed child during Ondoy is now the one supposed to THRIVE on powdered milk)?
Why would they approach a family with some 2 million followers on FB, a source of inspiration to so many people, to hold a contest and provide a year's supply of the powdered milk their firstborn drinks (which is a potential Milk Code violation)?
Oh and have you noticed how they present their commercials for these follow-on milk?
Child isn't eating right, but fortunately there's this powdered milk that gives all the nutrients listed in the food pyramid.
Child is thriving, and fortunately there is this powdered milk that helps meet his needs.
You are being prepped to buy either way. But again, do they tell you that the milk they advertise also compromises your child's health? Do you see or hear somewhere in the ad that this milk may worsen the common cold because it is mucus-forming and that cow's milk is top on the list of highly allergenic food? No?
now, let's do better, pro-Filipino Math
Let us say a celebrity endorser gets paid a million pesos (at least) for a milk ad. That buys them what? A trip abroad? A home extension? More money to invest? New clothes?
Now, let's assume that because she is a celebrity, she can influence people's choices. Follow-on milk will cost a middle-income family between P2,000-3,000 monthly. That is about one to two weeks' worth of wet market allowance for my family of five (this includes our helper, and yes, we generally eat healthy so that is mostly for fish and veggies). That means, for middle income families, money that can be used for the rest of the family is just being used for one. Or, money that can be saved instead is being used on milk alone. And if there is an infant, money that can be used for that infant't vaccinations is being used to buy milk for the older sibling.
See how it can be a recipe for poverty?
Meanwhile, for already struggling families, shooting for follow-on milk for a child may be suicide. But it happens. Instead of JUST feeding a child cooked food, they will prepare milk no matter how diluted, or break their backs to earn money to buy milk (leading to compromised health). More unfortunately, the marginalized do not think past the celebrity and milk and hype. They do not note that this is follow-on milk NOT MEANT for infants, all they hear is the jazz (intelligence! strong bones! edge! etc ). And since such is a recipe for diarrhea and malnutrition, how do we compute the cost now?
And what does the milk sales bring milk companies? New cars, condos, buildings and businesses for their main stakeholders.
But don't milk companies employ Filipinos? Yes, they do :) Let's say around 2,000 families are benefited by salaries and free milk. And I am pretty sure those families feel grateful for the employment. Thus, shouldn't our government be indebted to them? Uhmmm... not really since there are 16,000 deaths annually that can be traced to wrongful formula feeding and diseases directly addressed by breastfeeding. Click here for other costs of formula feeding (just in case you want to add in your computation the funeral costs for those 16,000 deaths). Please also try computing the cost for sick leaves for when mothers have to care for sick kids. Trips to an allergist takes all day, after all. And gastric episodes mean long days AND nights.
I don't know about you but I will never think 16,000 deaths YEARLY is a price worth paying to keep 2,000 families happy.
some more reality check, please
Celebrities are generally RICH already by a regular man's standards. Most of them breastfeed even because they are educated enough to know of the benefits.When their children gets sick, they can afford the best doctors, the best treatments, the best supplements. They can afford organic food. They can afford nutritionists if need be. They can afford the best schools, the best tutors, the best learning systems to ensure smart kids.
And some of them do not even really use the products they endorse. Ssshhh.
But us mere mortals, we are lucky if we have an HMO for checkups and emergency hospitalizations. And the poor? Why, good luck if they even get a turn at the nebulizer in a government hospital when they are having an asthma attack.
with great power comes great responsibility
While we cannot take away a celebrity's right to want to earn a living, and sell whatever they can for a brighter future (and in this, I mean name, reputation, service, etc)... we advocates also cannot help but wish that more of them will think of the repercussions of their actions because nothing ends after the shoot and the ad is shown. The damage happens after, in areas they will never even dream of going to, to families they will never meet.
When a celebrity says that she is giving her picky eater milk to keep him healthy, parents in other homes do the same, instead of improving their discipline and training their child to eat healthy.
When a celebrity says that all her kid wants is junk food (and since she allows it, it must be okay) so giving milk at least makes her child healthy, other parents do the same... instead of again, keeping junk food out of the home.
When celebrities promote a brand, their fans do not see them as entrepreneurs earning big bucks for said ad but as the beloved character they loved and supported.
a choice based on lies cannot be an informed choice
There are enough documentary videos and interviews that point to milk ads for turning breastfeeding families into mix feeding and purely formula feeding families. There are enough commercials that have swayed families into continuing to give milk to kids, some of whom have yayas outside their schoolrooms to prepare milk in feeding bottles! Mothers and in-laws will even recommend/impose certain brands because their idols "said" it makes for better brain development or stronger builds.
These choices are based on lies. And because these aren't informed choices, breastfeeding advocates cannot honor them by staying quiet while more families get financially and health compromised.
As a backgrounder, a popular celebrity family recently posted that they are giving away a year's supply of powdered milk (their firstborn's milk) for some contest (I think) which greatly saddened breastfeeding advocates. Here are the thoughts that ran through my head while I was feeling frustrated over this:
follow-on milk / toddler milk / preschooler milk/ adult milk is unnecessary
I swear, it is a fact. Nowhere in the existence of man was it necessary for humans to be dependent on milk beyond infancy (which ends when babies hit 1 year old) for nourishment. But yes, the worldwide average for weaning is closer to age 4, mainly because that is also the time a human being stops making lactase, the enzyme that digests the lactose in milk. Toddlers also benefit from the antibodies and probiotic in their momma's milk as they explore more of this world.
But here's a crash course for you. When the Americans came (you know, that time in our history when they colluded with Spain and drew up a mock battle but actually bought the Philippines for around 20 million dollars? Remember now?), they wanted to create a market for their goods. One thing they brought in was formula. And since Filipinos are very accommodating, we gobbled their "wisdom" up that formula is superior milk.
Fast forward to now, the Milk Code has regulated commercials of formula/milk for kids 3 years and below. Unfortunately, in the hundred years it has been sold here, milk companies are now earning at least P40B yearly. Yes, we made for a lucrative market. From a culture where breastfeeding was the norm, even for toddlers, we became milk guzzlers instead. What is worse, there is now that prevalent thinking among the common folk that formula milk is better and "only the poor" nurse their own babies.
But the fact is, what humans need for life is CALCIUM, not milk. And as much as milk companies say their products provide calcium, the truth really is the cow's milk (where these products are mostly derived from) leeches off calcium from our bones. Why? Because it is meant for calves! It just becomes this acidic mess in our guts. And the pasteurization that strips it of bacteria also removes the enzymes which will allow humans to digest it.Unfortunately, pasteurization does not remove the hormones fed to cows that were milked for our powdered milk.
So, again... what is a formula company to do if it cannot advertise for their formula? Create follow-on milk instead. Now, they have toddler milk, preschool milk, regular milk, pregnant mom's milk and milk for old people. The milk companies created a DEMAND for it by putting the idea across that we need it.
But WE DON'T!
We need calcium!
But their powdered milk is fortified with Iron! Of course, because drinking cow's milk makes a person iron deficient. How? It causes micro bleeding in the gut (because we are digesting food that is meant for a 4-compartment stomach) and interferes with iron absorption.
In other words, parents giving their very young kids milk are contributing to potential anemia and lactose intolerance for them.
Some studies already suggest that pregnant and breastfeeding mothers who drink milk/take in other allergenic food while pregnant/breastfeeding increase the chances of their babies developing skin allergies. And yet, more and more OBs are prescribing formula milk for mamas.
But how many of the educated population know of this truth about milk? And how many of the marginalized?
do the Math!
A P40B (and more) industry spends around P1B to market its products yearly. Marketing includes giving away samples, wooing doctors (who will give away the free samples OR prescribe the products), paying for print and TV ads.
Meanwhile, as per Milk Code, breastfeeding groups are limited in who they can approach to sponsor breastfeeding classes and events. Breastfeeding does not provide livelihood (except for Nanay Ines' Arugaan community of wet nurses and massage therapists) and will certainly not make anyone rich.
enter the celebrity endorsers and strategists in milk companies
Milk companies often target celebrity endorsers with a child who is still more likely breasfeeding. Why else would they have gotten Judy Ann Santos and Claudine Baretto before to promote preschooler milk after these celebs just had babies? I mean, surely, these celebs' adopted kids were already capable of drinking milk even before there were babies in the house. But no, let us wait until they've just given birth a few months before. Right?
Why would they approach Gladys Reyes, of the "thank God I was breastfeeding because we were stuck in our terrace/rooftop during Ondoy" fame to endorse preschooler milk while she also had an infant (and breastfed child during Ondoy is now the one supposed to THRIVE on powdered milk)?
Why would they approach a family with some 2 million followers on FB, a source of inspiration to so many people, to hold a contest and provide a year's supply of the powdered milk their firstborn drinks (which is a potential Milk Code violation)?
Oh and have you noticed how they present their commercials for these follow-on milk?
Child isn't eating right, but fortunately there's this powdered milk that gives all the nutrients listed in the food pyramid.
Child is thriving, and fortunately there is this powdered milk that helps meet his needs.
You are being prepped to buy either way. But again, do they tell you that the milk they advertise also compromises your child's health? Do you see or hear somewhere in the ad that this milk may worsen the common cold because it is mucus-forming and that cow's milk is top on the list of highly allergenic food? No?
now, let's do better, pro-Filipino Math
Let us say a celebrity endorser gets paid a million pesos (at least) for a milk ad. That buys them what? A trip abroad? A home extension? More money to invest? New clothes?
Now, let's assume that because she is a celebrity, she can influence people's choices. Follow-on milk will cost a middle-income family between P2,000-3,000 monthly. That is about one to two weeks' worth of wet market allowance for my family of five (this includes our helper, and yes, we generally eat healthy so that is mostly for fish and veggies). That means, for middle income families, money that can be used for the rest of the family is just being used for one. Or, money that can be saved instead is being used on milk alone. And if there is an infant, money that can be used for that infant't vaccinations is being used to buy milk for the older sibling.
See how it can be a recipe for poverty?
Meanwhile, for already struggling families, shooting for follow-on milk for a child may be suicide. But it happens. Instead of JUST feeding a child cooked food, they will prepare milk no matter how diluted, or break their backs to earn money to buy milk (leading to compromised health). More unfortunately, the marginalized do not think past the celebrity and milk and hype. They do not note that this is follow-on milk NOT MEANT for infants, all they hear is the jazz (intelligence! strong bones! edge! etc ). And since such is a recipe for diarrhea and malnutrition, how do we compute the cost now?
And what does the milk sales bring milk companies? New cars, condos, buildings and businesses for their main stakeholders.
But don't milk companies employ Filipinos? Yes, they do :) Let's say around 2,000 families are benefited by salaries and free milk. And I am pretty sure those families feel grateful for the employment. Thus, shouldn't our government be indebted to them? Uhmmm... not really since there are 16,000 deaths annually that can be traced to wrongful formula feeding and diseases directly addressed by breastfeeding. Click here for other costs of formula feeding (just in case you want to add in your computation the funeral costs for those 16,000 deaths). Please also try computing the cost for sick leaves for when mothers have to care for sick kids. Trips to an allergist takes all day, after all. And gastric episodes mean long days AND nights.
I don't know about you but I will never think 16,000 deaths YEARLY is a price worth paying to keep 2,000 families happy.
some more reality check, please
Celebrities are generally RICH already by a regular man's standards. Most of them breastfeed even because they are educated enough to know of the benefits.When their children gets sick, they can afford the best doctors, the best treatments, the best supplements. They can afford organic food. They can afford nutritionists if need be. They can afford the best schools, the best tutors, the best learning systems to ensure smart kids.
And some of them do not even really use the products they endorse. Ssshhh.
But us mere mortals, we are lucky if we have an HMO for checkups and emergency hospitalizations. And the poor? Why, good luck if they even get a turn at the nebulizer in a government hospital when they are having an asthma attack.
with great power comes great responsibility
While we cannot take away a celebrity's right to want to earn a living, and sell whatever they can for a brighter future (and in this, I mean name, reputation, service, etc)... we advocates also cannot help but wish that more of them will think of the repercussions of their actions because nothing ends after the shoot and the ad is shown. The damage happens after, in areas they will never even dream of going to, to families they will never meet.
When a celebrity says that she is giving her picky eater milk to keep him healthy, parents in other homes do the same, instead of improving their discipline and training their child to eat healthy.
When a celebrity says that all her kid wants is junk food (and since she allows it, it must be okay) so giving milk at least makes her child healthy, other parents do the same... instead of again, keeping junk food out of the home.
When celebrities promote a brand, their fans do not see them as entrepreneurs earning big bucks for said ad but as the beloved character they loved and supported.
a choice based on lies cannot be an informed choice
There are enough documentary videos and interviews that point to milk ads for turning breastfeeding families into mix feeding and purely formula feeding families. There are enough commercials that have swayed families into continuing to give milk to kids, some of whom have yayas outside their schoolrooms to prepare milk in feeding bottles! Mothers and in-laws will even recommend/impose certain brands because their idols "said" it makes for better brain development or stronger builds.
These choices are based on lies. And because these aren't informed choices, breastfeeding advocates cannot honor them by staying quiet while more families get financially and health compromised.
I posted this as comment on Breastfeeding Pinay: If you are educated, think for yourself and
have options (by virtue of income and connections) then be grateful that you
aren't part of the 60-70% of the population who cannot make the same informed
choices that you can. And it is the marginalized and ignorant WE (advocates)
are protecting and giving a voice to, which will also mean that we will forever
frown over such practices.
breastfeeding is not just a feeding issue, it is a public
health issue
I will admit, a judgmental part of me wonders how these
celebrities can sleep at night :D (Because I am already assuming the milk companies to be purely motivated by earnings)
I was reminded by a
friend that not everyone are like us. That translates to so many things.
Not all these moms know what we know. Ignorance, as they
say, is bliss.They may still be really nice people but they also might not care
as much as we do for the things that we do care about... like child health, and
maternal health and the environment. After all, not all of us are meant to
further breastfeeding advocacy. Some will build NGOs for education, some will
help pastor families, some will help in drug rehab.
They may be religious but not fully realize that they can
effect better change.
But most probably, they, like most of the population, think
of breastfeeding as JUST a feeding issue. So, they think of formula and
follow-on milk as JUST modern options to feeding a baby/child. They do not see
that unless it is medically necessary, formula and follow-on milk do more harm
than good. They see milk as something that is purely ingested and nourishes
now, and not something that stays in a person to give them allergy and cancer
protection (in the case of breastfed toddlers) or increase their risks for
diabetes (for children under 5 drinking cow's milk).
But you, if you have stayed with me down to here... I hope
now you know better. And will understand why we cannot support celebrities
endorsing milk and fume over the companies that pay them exorbitant amounts
they cannot ignore. Formula has its place in the great scheme of things. Follow-on
milk? Not so much. Good, locally-produced food is better. And in the fight FOR
PUBLIC HEALTH, I wish more celebrities will use their influence for the greater
good.
*~* Meanwhile... inviting you all to these events!!!
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Ai Designs
My friend just recently launched her homebased business. She started by offering personalized gift tags at her shop https://www.facebook.com/aiaiaidesigns. I don't think she can already offer a multitude of printing requirements and options (like online envelope printing) yet but it's really a great start and her designs are impeccably classy and uncluttered.
I am blogging about her because it has been over two years since she egged me to write a breastfeeding storybook for my birthday... and I did. But I have yet to even submit it to anybody. Meanwhile, she, without meaning to, has launched an online business already.
Talk about taking risks and realizing dreams.
I should be more like her.
It's my biggest struggle now... coming to terms with old and new dreams and embracing the fact that I did not stop being a person with my own wishes and talents just because I became a wife and mom.
I am blogging about her because it has been over two years since she egged me to write a breastfeeding storybook for my birthday... and I did. But I have yet to even submit it to anybody. Meanwhile, she, without meaning to, has launched an online business already.
Talk about taking risks and realizing dreams.
I should be more like her.
It's my biggest struggle now... coming to terms with old and new dreams and embracing the fact that I did not stop being a person with my own wishes and talents just because I became a wife and mom.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
No to Formula Donations Post Maring
This post might offend others even if my intention is for the greater good and there is no malice nor judgment involved in the writing of this quick blog post.
Hundreds of families will be finding themselves in temporary shelters and evacuation centers. Donations will be pouring in. One industry that is very quick to respond to this 'need' (or say, opportunity) is the milk company industry.
But please say it with me.... FOUL!
For one thing, breastfeeding missions we have conducted post-Ondoy showed us that many of the marginalized actually breastfeed to some extent (and let's face it, those from the middle class or upper class will have relatives to go to after losing their homes to flood). It is just a matter of empowering them to do it exclusively.
Breastfeeding is imperative during disasters and emergency situations, while donations of formula will undermine a mother's capability to provide a safe food for their infant (one that is sure to protect him from common illnesses they will inevitably pick up from those evac centers) and toddler/s. Plus, formula donations can pose real health risks in such situations wherein sterile water, equipment and enough formula will not be guaranteed. It is not a joke, evacuees have used portalet water, or gathered rain just to prepare formula. This is why an epidemic of diarrhea often follows such displacement.
If you really care about those people, do read this and be enlightened how to better help: Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies
Hundreds of families will be finding themselves in temporary shelters and evacuation centers. Donations will be pouring in. One industry that is very quick to respond to this 'need' (or say, opportunity) is the milk company industry.
But please say it with me.... FOUL!
For one thing, breastfeeding missions we have conducted post-Ondoy showed us that many of the marginalized actually breastfeed to some extent (and let's face it, those from the middle class or upper class will have relatives to go to after losing their homes to flood). It is just a matter of empowering them to do it exclusively.
Breastfeeding is imperative during disasters and emergency situations, while donations of formula will undermine a mother's capability to provide a safe food for their infant (one that is sure to protect him from common illnesses they will inevitably pick up from those evac centers) and toddler/s. Plus, formula donations can pose real health risks in such situations wherein sterile water, equipment and enough formula will not be guaranteed. It is not a joke, evacuees have used portalet water, or gathered rain just to prepare formula. This is why an epidemic of diarrhea often follows such displacement.
If you really care about those people, do read this and be enlightened how to better help: Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies
Getting Kids Into Music
Yakee still has not had any formal training on an instrument yet. I want to adopt the Waldorf way of introducing that in First Grade, when he turns seven. And I will insist on a wind instrument for his lungs.
That does not mean, however, that we have not introduced him (or both boys) to musical instruments. Yakee has played with a recorder and harmonica, has broken enough drums, has a xylophone, broken two ukeleles, has played with a rainmaker and who knows what else.
These were hubs' gift to them from Malaysia... I love the marimba (the one the looks like the body of a guitar) and Yakee uses it to create background music when he feels there's a need for it. Yamee uses the drum as a drum, container for toys and step stool though. Haha.
That does not mean, however, that we have not introduced him (or both boys) to musical instruments. Yakee has played with a recorder and harmonica, has broken enough drums, has a xylophone, broken two ukeleles, has played with a rainmaker and who knows what else.
These were hubs' gift to them from Malaysia... I love the marimba (the one the looks like the body of a guitar) and Yakee uses it to create background music when he feels there's a need for it. Yamee uses the drum as a drum, container for toys and step stool though. Haha.
So, in the years to come, I see our home playing host to guitars and bigger drums, maybe even a violin (I don't see Yakee playing it but can totally see Yamee doing so) or some Accordions at musician's friend for the two. Heaven knows he has expressed curiosity over harps and lyres as well.
Heaven help my ears! Haha.
Heaven help my ears! Haha.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
City Gardener
Homeschooling and a pursuit of a healthier lifestyle has made me realize the necessity of having my own garden to pluck leaves and what-nots from. I sometimes check out tips from the Soothing Company Blog or get helpful concoctions from Facebook sharings but I sometimes don't have ingredients handy or prefer something simpler.
Want to deodorize a house? Get free coffee grounds given away by Starbucks. And then sprinkle some on your pots so their acidity will make your plants thrive better. Include the neighbors' or the street's plants in the process.
Got the sniffles? Set up a steamer alongside your kids while they're having some tub time with some lagundi leaves (which I thank our neighbor for). And make your kid drink oregano tea (I literally bought a plant just to pluck leave from, much to Yakee's dismay), or a tablespoon of oregano extract (steam oregano some and just squeeze juice out of it).
I boil pandan leaves to perfume the house... and later on use the tea to calm me down, or flavor gelatin with. Mixed with lemongrass, it's even better tea. Mixed with kalamansi and honey and iced... it's the same iced tea now being sold by Gawad Kalinga. Haven't figured out how to make my pandan plant grow really long leaves though.
Other potential ailments can be helped by our asitava plant, and I am glad it doesn't taste awful so I guess I can season salads and soups with its chopped leaves.
I even use our basil plant to make basil tea...or really make pesto pasta fragrant :)
This week, I shall try to grow Kangkong Upland (because I have not been succesful with okra) from seeds. Good luck to me!
Want to deodorize a house? Get free coffee grounds given away by Starbucks. And then sprinkle some on your pots so their acidity will make your plants thrive better. Include the neighbors' or the street's plants in the process.
Got the sniffles? Set up a steamer alongside your kids while they're having some tub time with some lagundi leaves (which I thank our neighbor for). And make your kid drink oregano tea (I literally bought a plant just to pluck leave from, much to Yakee's dismay), or a tablespoon of oregano extract (steam oregano some and just squeeze juice out of it).
I boil pandan leaves to perfume the house... and later on use the tea to calm me down, or flavor gelatin with. Mixed with lemongrass, it's even better tea. Mixed with kalamansi and honey and iced... it's the same iced tea now being sold by Gawad Kalinga. Haven't figured out how to make my pandan plant grow really long leaves though.
Other potential ailments can be helped by our asitava plant, and I am glad it doesn't taste awful so I guess I can season salads and soups with its chopped leaves.
I even use our basil plant to make basil tea...or really make pesto pasta fragrant :)
This week, I shall try to grow Kangkong Upland (because I have not been succesful with okra) from seeds. Good luck to me!
Saturday, August 3, 2013
MIL is Handy Womanny
MIL knows close to zilch about the net so she can't have possibly Googled things like ceramic rings at LSPceramics.com to replace pump cylinders but she continues to amaze me about how Handy Manny-like she is. She can replace pumps, valves and whatever from water pumps to ovens. Her last project that bawled me over? Re-piping their entire house (she just hired me to drill the holes through the walls for her but she did all the sawing, measuring, designing and installation of the pipes themselves) because she couldn't find which pipe is leaking. So now, every toilet in her house has a working bidet and all showers are working, and there are locks for each system should there be any repairs need to be done, thus eliminating the need to shut down the water supply in the entire house.
Brilliant eh?
I can only hope I will be half as service-able as she is. I have started with attempting to change gas tanks... haha. I have to do more and learn more because I need to set a good example for my own boys.
Brilliant eh?
I can only hope I will be half as service-able as she is. I have started with attempting to change gas tanks... haha. I have to do more and learn more because I need to set a good example for my own boys.
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Taming My Fire
I am being more inspired by CCF and a homeschooler shared the rough draft of her manuscript on parenting gems... and for a week now, I have been really calmer.
And in just three days of choosing to follow the book's gems, I noticed a change in my kids already. A huge one. We had an exhausting weekend though and there were moments when I felt like giving in to my temper, but I still let calm prevail... and Yakee has been overflowing with positive response. So much so that when I did get angry (without shouting) last Sunday, he readily apologized and cooperated from then on.
Yamee... he is mostly cooperative :)
Most of the gems in the manuscript, I already practice and know. It was the calm that I never really aimed for, feeling I had a right to be angry all the time. So, this time, I have that for a goal.
And I am happier... because it has allowed me to manage the homeschooling better. Of course, I have much to improve on (like getting enough rest) but I am glad that now, I am feeling more empowered to manage the two. And we've had a week of blessed calm.
*~*
Yakee keeps telling me how much he loves homeschooling and how much he loves me. He is always profuse with thanks... one of the perks of really having to give of myself and my time.
And in just three days of choosing to follow the book's gems, I noticed a change in my kids already. A huge one. We had an exhausting weekend though and there were moments when I felt like giving in to my temper, but I still let calm prevail... and Yakee has been overflowing with positive response. So much so that when I did get angry (without shouting) last Sunday, he readily apologized and cooperated from then on.
Yamee... he is mostly cooperative :)
Most of the gems in the manuscript, I already practice and know. It was the calm that I never really aimed for, feeling I had a right to be angry all the time. So, this time, I have that for a goal.
And I am happier... because it has allowed me to manage the homeschooling better. Of course, I have much to improve on (like getting enough rest) but I am glad that now, I am feeling more empowered to manage the two. And we've had a week of blessed calm.
*~*
Yakee keeps telling me how much he loves homeschooling and how much he loves me. He is always profuse with thanks... one of the perks of really having to give of myself and my time.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Time for Music Lessons?
Yakee would often say that he wants to learn to play the drums. I am insisting he learns the recorder first (and with Waldorf, he'd do it by age 7 for his lungs) plus I didn't want his developing ears to be subjected to that much noise already (ear plugs notwithstanding).
Hubs and I have been discussing how we will go about this, since we live so far away from TMA/Tiendesitas to enroll the kids with their affiliated programs. I sometimes check out alvarez guitars from musicians friend (because I can't help but think that playing the guitar will go along way in fine motor development for Yakee, plus add to his appeal, haha) but I really should find tutors or centers that will teach him music the way I want him taught. In the progression that Waldorf follows (because I believe in their system).
Yakee is only five. Some say that's a good age to start lessons. Maybe we will start soon... or maybe wait.
Hubs and I have been discussing how we will go about this, since we live so far away from TMA/Tiendesitas to enroll the kids with their affiliated programs. I sometimes check out alvarez guitars from musicians friend (because I can't help but think that playing the guitar will go along way in fine motor development for Yakee, plus add to his appeal, haha) but I really should find tutors or centers that will teach him music the way I want him taught. In the progression that Waldorf follows (because I believe in their system).
Yakee is only five. Some say that's a good age to start lessons. Maybe we will start soon... or maybe wait.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Neglectful Momma
On one hand, by a stroke of luck... we suddenly have a new helper again. And she seems to be very industrious. Since I don't have very high expectations from helpers, I already find her a gem. Hopefully, she stays long with us and doesn't ever steal from us.
And... my cousin, who will do repairs in our home, is already here with his family. So, the boys are actually feverishly happy that we have guests :) They have not even come to me for anything since they woke up.
But... I have been a very neglectful Mom. I am consumed with this desire for time alone. PMS? Depression? Both? Sigh.
I have been a slave of my phone and tablet too... much to the dismay of the kids. Somebody bop me in the head. Part of me thinks it's because we will be enrolling soon... haha, I know, that reason again. But June is coming and expectations over results is threatening my inner equilibrium...
And... my cousin, who will do repairs in our home, is already here with his family. So, the boys are actually feverishly happy that we have guests :) They have not even come to me for anything since they woke up.
But... I have been a very neglectful Mom. I am consumed with this desire for time alone. PMS? Depression? Both? Sigh.
I have been a slave of my phone and tablet too... much to the dismay of the kids. Somebody bop me in the head. Part of me thinks it's because we will be enrolling soon... haha, I know, that reason again. But June is coming and expectations over results is threatening my inner equilibrium...
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Breaking Mean Bones, Breaking Hearts
About two weeks ago... I heard Yamee cry in pain. I'm a mom who can differentiate cries, after all.
Yakee told me that Yamee poured hot water over himself. I saw the reddish skin. I asked Yakee to tell me thr truth about what happened, and he insisted on his story. So, I started scolding Yamee... telling him that I did tell him the water was hot (they were steaming) and asked him who got the hot water. He immediately pointed to his brother. I asked him who poured hot water over him. He again pointed to his brother. I asked him what Kuya used, and he pointed to the shampoo cap.
That night, Yakee got spanked for hurting, lying and disobeying (because I asked him to tell me the truth). He was also deprived of screen time for two days, and wasn't read to for two nights. Those were important to him so we thought withdrawing those would bring home the lesson more.
Unfortunately, it didn't.
Earlier tonight, I heard Yamee cry again... Yakee told me his brother hurt his chin on the chair. As I was comforting Yamee, I asked where it hurts so I could kiss it. He pointed to his nostril. I asked why would his nose hurt, he immediately pointed to his brother.
Yakee was profuse with SORRYs for lying and hurting his brother... and I carted Bunso away because I couldn't handle Yakee yet.
Later, when he would try to talk to me, I would just tell him I wasn't ready to talk to him. He started getting teary and asked, "You don't like me anymore?"
So... I asked my N@W support group for inputs. I wanted to heavily punish Yakee because I really didn't want him lying... plus, I felt Yamee had to be avenged somehow. I felt... I was both their Mom and had to be fair. But I also knew Yakee is only 5 and will learn these lessons in virtue in increments. What was I going to do? What was a natural, logical consequence to the lying and hurting?
My friends reminded me to use stories and extend my grace. I told hubs we should talk about the discipline first... and agreed that withdrawing privileges do not really work with Yakee, and that we're better off appealing to his emotions.
So, after bath... we spanked Yakee because we promised him it would happen when he lies again. And we do not lie. We also keep our promises. But we hugged him and talked to him. We showed him a picture of a child with a bleeding nose and discussed how we're sure he doesn't want that to happen to his brother, who he loves. We explained again that we love him and have to train him to be good. And then hubs told him I will show him what happens when he lies.
I cut up 4 hearts, wrote our names and posted them on our wall while saying... "Pappie doesn't lie and he loves Mommy best. They do not lie to each other so their hearts are close. They love Yamee and do not lie to Yamee and Yamee does not lie to them so their hearts are close. They love Yakee too but because of reasons that are his own, Yakee lied and thought only of himself... Which moved his heart away from the family."
Yakee told me that Yamee poured hot water over himself. I saw the reddish skin. I asked Yakee to tell me thr truth about what happened, and he insisted on his story. So, I started scolding Yamee... telling him that I did tell him the water was hot (they were steaming) and asked him who got the hot water. He immediately pointed to his brother. I asked him who poured hot water over him. He again pointed to his brother. I asked him what Kuya used, and he pointed to the shampoo cap.
That night, Yakee got spanked for hurting, lying and disobeying (because I asked him to tell me the truth). He was also deprived of screen time for two days, and wasn't read to for two nights. Those were important to him so we thought withdrawing those would bring home the lesson more.
Unfortunately, it didn't.
Earlier tonight, I heard Yamee cry again... Yakee told me his brother hurt his chin on the chair. As I was comforting Yamee, I asked where it hurts so I could kiss it. He pointed to his nostril. I asked why would his nose hurt, he immediately pointed to his brother.
Yakee was profuse with SORRYs for lying and hurting his brother... and I carted Bunso away because I couldn't handle Yakee yet.
Later, when he would try to talk to me, I would just tell him I wasn't ready to talk to him. He started getting teary and asked, "You don't like me anymore?"
So... I asked my N@W support group for inputs. I wanted to heavily punish Yakee because I really didn't want him lying... plus, I felt Yamee had to be avenged somehow. I felt... I was both their Mom and had to be fair. But I also knew Yakee is only 5 and will learn these lessons in virtue in increments. What was I going to do? What was a natural, logical consequence to the lying and hurting?
My friends reminded me to use stories and extend my grace. I told hubs we should talk about the discipline first... and agreed that withdrawing privileges do not really work with Yakee, and that we're better off appealing to his emotions.
So, after bath... we spanked Yakee because we promised him it would happen when he lies again. And we do not lie. We also keep our promises. But we hugged him and talked to him. We showed him a picture of a child with a bleeding nose and discussed how we're sure he doesn't want that to happen to his brother, who he loves. We explained again that we love him and have to train him to be good. And then hubs told him I will show him what happens when he lies.
I cut up 4 hearts, wrote our names and posted them on our wall while saying... "Pappie doesn't lie and he loves Mommy best. They do not lie to each other so their hearts are close. They love Yamee and do not lie to Yamee and Yamee does not lie to them so their hearts are close. They love Yakee too but because of reasons that are his own, Yakee lied and thought only of himself... Which moved his heart away from the family."
I really cried while doing this, and hubs took advantage by asking Yakee if he can see how sad I am because he lied... so Yakee also cried buckets while I held him. Then hubby posted Yakee's heart about 2 inches away from ours. to serve as a reminder to our poor eldest in the coming days of what lying and hurting does to a family. Hope it works.
We made sure to tell him we love him and that it's because we love that makes us serious and committed to raising him good.
We made sure to tell him we love him and that it's because we love that makes us serious and committed to raising him good.
We also cried while praying, and Pappie was hugging Yakee as our child cried. Yakee was wiping tears till I tucked him in bed.
And both of us parents couldn't sleep after.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Balik Bukid Country Fair on the 28th
Are we going or are we not going?
Sigh.
I am a little wary of the summer heat and would much prefer the November one... but I can't stop thinking of Isobel's ice cream plus the chance to just let the kids be outdoors and in nature again.
Where else can the boys play jockey without need of horse riding apparel?
Hopefully, the money I am missing was just really misplaced so that we'll have budget for this. Plus, I think Yakee would love to see old friends there.
Sigh.
I am a little wary of the summer heat and would much prefer the November one... but I can't stop thinking of Isobel's ice cream plus the chance to just let the kids be outdoors and in nature again.
Where else can the boys play jockey without need of horse riding apparel?
Hopefully, the money I am missing was just really misplaced so that we'll have budget for this. Plus, I think Yakee would love to see old friends there.
No Way, No!
U.N. Report Advocates Teaching Masturbation to 5-Year-Olds
While I am sure this isn't as sensational as it reads right now... there are still several things that I find seriously wrong about this picture.
First... I believe in sex education but I also believe in letting children be children. I know kids go through a phallic stage but I would rather teach better gendering (how not to be so rough for boys, and how to be more active for girls) to kids rather than teach them about ideas like masturbation (unless asked). I would rather they are taught of social graces and responsibilities, rather than where to get safe abortions.
Second... though I understand the real tragedy that is HIV/AIDS and other reproductive health issues compromising the health and welfare of women and children, I really don't think one can teach about sexual responsibility without a proper value framework. Sure, using religion sometimes turn more people off from safer sex practices and sexual responsibility BUT you really can't be tackling ideas without it being in the context of values, priorities and what dignifies a human being.
Third... I would rather parents are taught to properly address their children's questions because they then can be better parents to all their children. Wouldn't that be more cost effective in the long run as well?
Fourth... thinking of marginalized people with no education, support and options... what would concepts mean to them? How is a child of 8 who knows about abortions be saved from premarital sex, promiscuity and abuse? All they'd know is that there is a concept like abortion and it might provide a 'solution' to whatever happened to them.
Yikes!
Monday, March 25, 2013
My Age Doesn't Matter Anymore
A friend posted this on FB:
In about a month, the boy and I will be celebrating our birthdays and I have to say that while turning 36 doesn't faze me one bit, my son turning 7 is a little bit depressing.
Sigh... Yakee will turn 6 four days after I turn 36. Yamee will turn three a few days before hubby will turn 37. Our birthdays have ceased to be our own because we had kids to share them with. But what my friend said resonated so well with me.
More like, they're heartbreaking.
Nowadays, I can't seem to stop myself from saying how we don't have a baby anymore... as Yamee is all grown up (at 2) and defiant. And I look at Yakee and keep seeing the handsome man he will grow up to be, and I can't help but see visions of girls competing for his attention and loyalty.
Sometimes, I think, I even delay mentoring him because I want to preserve just a little more dependence on me, just a little more need of me. I know, it's soooo bad and mean of Mommy.
I think Yakee is feeling the growing up too... because he's been asking more and more to sleep in the big bed again, or for me to meme (caress) him while he sleeps if I wake up in the middle of the night. I think, unconsciously, he knows that babyhood is no more... at least for him.
How fast the five or so years have gone by, looking at them from here. But while living them, they felt every bit of the five years. So, it's really hard to explain the why of this sentimentality... then again, other parents will just understand. They've gone through the same.
In about a month, the boy and I will be celebrating our birthdays and I have to say that while turning 36 doesn't faze me one bit, my son turning 7 is a little bit depressing.
Sigh... Yakee will turn 6 four days after I turn 36. Yamee will turn three a few days before hubby will turn 37. Our birthdays have ceased to be our own because we had kids to share them with. But what my friend said resonated so well with me.
More like, they're heartbreaking.
Nowadays, I can't seem to stop myself from saying how we don't have a baby anymore... as Yamee is all grown up (at 2) and defiant. And I look at Yakee and keep seeing the handsome man he will grow up to be, and I can't help but see visions of girls competing for his attention and loyalty.
Sometimes, I think, I even delay mentoring him because I want to preserve just a little more dependence on me, just a little more need of me. I know, it's soooo bad and mean of Mommy.
I think Yakee is feeling the growing up too... because he's been asking more and more to sleep in the big bed again, or for me to meme (caress) him while he sleeps if I wake up in the middle of the night. I think, unconsciously, he knows that babyhood is no more... at least for him.
How fast the five or so years have gone by, looking at them from here. But while living them, they felt every bit of the five years. So, it's really hard to explain the why of this sentimentality... then again, other parents will just understand. They've gone through the same.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
How I Got to Raising Snails
Funnily enough, I think I forgot to clean the container today :D
I bring the boys to the market with me when I have to go, since nobody will be staying with them. One day over a week ago (or probably two), we passed by a cart filled with live snails (the local 'suso' that you cook with coco milk). The boys kept returning to the cart, amazed at the reatures so I thought I'd just get them two each and let them have their fill watching them come in and out of their shells.
Within a day, Yamee lost one of his.
After three days, Yakee lost one of his.
(and yes, it is a mystery how those snails seem to haven't died yet since there hasn't been a foul smell coming from a dusty cranny at both houses)
So, each boy now only have one snail each to call their pet. Unfortunately, they soon lost interest so I ended up cleaning the container and making sure they have fresh water and some leaves to munch on (haha, hubs said they eat kangkong so I gave them any leafy veggie we have).
When Yamee remembers them, he tries throwing cut paper or plastic in their container. More stress for me.
And yes, I don't know why haven't just thrown them with the trash. Sigh.
I did tell Yakee that their lack of responsibility over the snails just proves to me they aren't ready for the other pets they've been asking for (goldfish, cat, dog, horse, chameleon) :D
I bring the boys to the market with me when I have to go, since nobody will be staying with them. One day over a week ago (or probably two), we passed by a cart filled with live snails (the local 'suso' that you cook with coco milk). The boys kept returning to the cart, amazed at the reatures so I thought I'd just get them two each and let them have their fill watching them come in and out of their shells.
Within a day, Yamee lost one of his.
After three days, Yakee lost one of his.
(and yes, it is a mystery how those snails seem to haven't died yet since there hasn't been a foul smell coming from a dusty cranny at both houses)
So, each boy now only have one snail each to call their pet. Unfortunately, they soon lost interest so I ended up cleaning the container and making sure they have fresh water and some leaves to munch on (haha, hubs said they eat kangkong so I gave them any leafy veggie we have).
When Yamee remembers them, he tries throwing cut paper or plastic in their container. More stress for me.
And yes, I don't know why haven't just thrown them with the trash. Sigh.
I did tell Yakee that their lack of responsibility over the snails just proves to me they aren't ready for the other pets they've been asking for (goldfish, cat, dog, horse, chameleon) :D
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